BillsPhan

I like that look, if it is real. But as long as the players don't vote to wear the dark on dark at home anymore, even their current uniforms are fine, if worn as they were originally supposed to have been way back earlier this decade when Bledsoe and Fletcher first modeled them during a sunny May day. Bledsoe had on the home version of dark jersey and white pants, and Fletcher sported the roadies with dark pants and white jerseys. I would really like to see them get rid of the current uniforms altogether, and go back to something more old school and basic. But whatever uniform they end up wearing, I'm sick and tired of the worn out stupid punk looking dark jersey / dark pants combo for home games. They need to be shelved once and for all.

I have no idea what "DVAO" is but I think you might want to check out the Pats from a few years ago that was 11-5-0 and lost out on tie breakers for even the number 6 spot. Something tells me that Pats team, even if it was the one without Brady, due to his knee injury, and was forced to start Matt Cassels 15 games, would have beaten that 2004 Bills team both times heads up.

I'm quite sure Pete Carroll is hoping he never has to play as long as he takes up space as his clip board holding 3rd stringer.

Star ESPN Analyst Derrick Brooks had this to say when asked about the Eagles chances going into next weeks' Wild Card game against the Packers at home: "I'm worried about the Eagles and their psychic." It seems to me, if you have to worry about an NFL team's psychic not performing up to standard, then that team must really be in trouble! God love you Derrick, maybe if you keep working on your new profession, you may reach Amani Toomer status within the next year or two! Here's Amani just now debating on "1st and 10" with Skip Bayless; "You don't have a whole.....you don't have 4 games like you do in other sports, you just have one game to play in the playoffs." Wow, how long to Amani study to let us in on that gem? Love these ex-NFL players on ESPN. Where's John Riggins when you need him, to add some class and basic intelligence??

I'd love to see Wanny roaming the Bills sidelines ad DC next year. The choice to bring in successful qualified coordinators certainly worked in KC this past season don't you think?? Scott Pioli saw his young HC struggle through his first season and brought in his old buddies Weiss and Crommel to surround him with veteran SB winning offensive and defensive coordinators. Wanny won at least one SB as Dallas DC way back when the Cowboys beat our beloved Bills in the early 90's, so absolutely get him in here to clean up this horrid defense!

I agree with step 1. If Luck announces he's leaving Stanford, and if Carolina will accept a trade (Jimmy Clausen hasn't exactly locked up the "franchise QB" position down there yet), I say hell yes the Bills should trade up for Luck and prove to we fans once and for all they are serious about winning Division, Conference and maybe even SB Championships again. Polian signed Jimbo out of the bankrupt USFL before the 1986 season FIRST, and then built everything around him later. Kelly even QB'ed the Bills to his own 4-12-0 season starting out his Bills' career in 1986, as Marv Levy was brought in by Polian half way through it. (Bill Polian does not get credit for drafting Bruce Smith number one overall in April 1985, because he was not GM at that time!). As for the rest of the draft, I don't know any of those other players and I'm sure Nix will draft the best players on his board with the picks he has left if he can pull of the big trade for Luck.

2009: Kansas City Chiefs: Last Place: 4-12-0 2010: Kansas City Chiefs: First Place: 10-6-0 Other notable teams that made upward movements in 2010: 2009: Chicago Bears: Third Place: 7-9-0 2010: Chicago Bears: First Place: 11-5-0 2009: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Last Place: 3-13-0 2010: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Second Place: 10-6-0 (Missed Wildcard Spot by tiebreaker with Packers & Giants) 2009: St. Louis Rams: Last Place: 1-15-0 2010: St. Louis Rams: Second Place: 7-9-0 (Last game at Seattle was for the NFC West Division.) Those 4 teams combined averaged a fraction under 6 games improvement each from one season to the next. Granted, they are only 4 of 32 total teams in the NFL, so obviously the odds of the Bills duplicating this success from 2010 to 2011 (if there is a season in 2011 of course) are only about 13% possible. But every year in the NFL about 4 to 6 teams have one-season turn arounds similar to above. It proves that although not probable, it is possible every single off season to improve by about 6 games better then your losing season before. Plus, all four of those teams above seem to be pretty solidly built with good coaching and good management in place. I do not see any of their upgrades being "one year wonder" type seasons like the Dolphins had going from 1-15-0 to 11-5-0 in one year, and then not making the playoffs the following 2 years after that. So even though Buddy Nix is subscribed to the old fashioned "long path" to winning and most fans out here agree with him, I still think with the salary cap and FA teams can do it faster, a few teams actually do do it faster every season, and after 11 straight non-playoff seasons, I would like to see the Bills do it faster then the old fashioned 3-5 year time tables.

I have not watched any of those rookies you mention above as starters in next year's 3-4. Neither do I know much about Soliai as our "big FA signing." I trust your own research is good on those guys, so of course the Bills 3-4 would be much improved....especially with moving Kelsay out as a starter. However, I still believe Buddy needs to use rounds 2-3 for his next QB. Locker, Mallet...whomever he thinks is best on his board.

Yes we absolutely need more OLB, even more then Blue Oyster Cults' agent needed "more cow bell"!

Yeah, either were any Bills fans who were old enough to remember watching: Earl Edwards, Big Ben Williams, Art Still, Bruce Smith, Phil Hanson, Marcellus Wiley or Aaron Schobel play Kelsay's position better then he ever will! As for your "wrong message" take, you have to be kidding right? Lest you forget, there are 32 teams in the NFL, and our beloved 2010 Bills have held down the "coveted" number 32 ranking against the run all season. Just who exactly on defense, other then Kyle Williams, are we supposed to care as to what kind of message they receive from Buddy Nix right re-signing anyone different on defense, right about now? If they are lucky enough to still be on the team after the draft, every one of them should be thinking; THANK GOD Buddy is re-signing a player of Merriman's skill and experience to HELP us out in 2011!

It was an awful call, but as a life long Orange fan, I completely enjoyed watching K-State line up at the Orange 18 yd. line for the 2 pt. conversion. But the rest of the game was great, the 'Cuse were winning by 2 so all K.State would have done if they made the 2 pointer was tie anyway. Great bowl win, and good solid 8 win season for coach Marone in just his second year taking over a program that was left in a shambles after the Greg Robinson "error-a"

Orton already plays for the Bills under the name of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Why do you want two QB's that are good enough to put up good numbers but don't have what it takes to take the Bills deep into the playoffs unless the Bills suddenly aquire a Bears of '85 or Ravens of 2000 type defense?? Kyle Orton lead those two teams to SB victories under the names of Jim McMahon and Trent Dilfer. Of course with those two defenses, the QB's hardly mattered. But, both those SB winning teams also had very good offensive lines and running games. So if you want the Bills to sign Fitzy's twin brother Kyle and have them be your QB's number 1 and number 2, then you will have to depend on Nix bringing in more OL and defensive talent via the draft and FA, and wait for all of that to mature into a very good OL with strong running backs (Jackson fits that bill and hopefully Spiller learns how to run in the NFL soon), and the Number One defense in the NFL that will lead them to a surprising SB winning season one of these years. And I would love to see that, don't get me wrong. Depending on FA signings and the draft (and if they even play in 2011), Nix and Gailey may have already decided to go with Fitz anyway for all we know. But I think they should draft Jake Locker or Ryan Mallet and start building around those kids being more franchise type QB's. After all, the Bears never won their second SB and the Ravens never won their second SB mostly because both McMahon and Dilfer were either getting too old or were never good enough in the first place to lead the teams back. Andrew Luck will be drafted by the Panthers number 1, so he won't even be a realistic hope. So sure the Bills should take the best OL or DL or pass rushing DE or OLB available with their high first round choice. However, I hope they position themselves to be in the running for whoever Nix and the gang agree is the second best QB in this upcoming years' draft!

Stevie J. has Pro Bowl numbers this season, and it looks even better compared to his rookie year last season. Great break out year, great numbers and.....one real bad dropped pass. I believe if he catches that gorgeous pass in the end zone to upset the Steelers in OT, his ticket to Hawaii would be punched. Instead, his fellow players from the NFL watched his drop over and over on ESPN all week after, and that stuck in their minds more then all of the good things he accomplished. Of course the Bills sucking this season played into it too, but that fact hurt Kyle Williams much more then Stevie. Let's face it, the WR's are the divas of the NFL, and Stevie likes to act out like a diva when he gets into the end zone. Diva's need to make more plays then quiet subdued WR's and Stevie hopefully learned a tough lesson....catch the easy passes in the end zone to win games! As for big Kyle, nobody is going to vote in the nose tackle for the worst run defense in the NFL for any Pro Bowl. End of story. As a die hard Bills fan, I like both those players and think they both did have Pro Bowl type seasons. Stevie needs to work hard this off season and make even more plays next year to repeat since defenses will start doubling him next year. Williams on the other hand needs some real NFL caliber linemen and linebackers to play with him much more then he needs to improve his own game for next season. If there is a next season, that is.

I absolutely never think the Bills will beat the Pats....not as long as Brady starts and Belicheck is the HC. That said, I have not looked forward to a Pats game this much in a long time. Selfishly of course I hope it sells out since I don't go to the games anymore, but even if I'm forced to listen to Murph and Professor Kelso on the radio, I really can't wait for kick off next week. It would be awesome if the Bills take the Pats right down the the end of the game or OT like the Ravens and Steelers, too!

I don't know why the NFL isn't having games on Saturdays this year, but college football should be using these Saturdays in December to PLAY-OFF towards their national championship. Check out the articles today on the Division 3 Champions - Wisc. Whitewater. They just finished their second consecutive 15-0 season. Yes, 15 games played by the last two college football teams in Division 3, where they don't even offer those kids scholarships! Yet in major college football, where not only do the players get everything in their lives basically free, they barely even need to go to class, they finish playing their 12 games, then get anywhere from 2 to 5 weeks vacation before playing their 13th and final game of the season. And it is just soooooo exciting isn't it? Especially for the 3rd through 8th ranked teams, playing in their bowl games to decide....nothing. When they should be playing each other and the number 1 and 2 teams in a "BCS Playoff." Of course later on in the year, they can take breaks from their winter work outs in March to watch the basketball players from their respective schools playing in the NCAA Tournament if they make it, only the most exciting sporting event on television next to a good Super Bowl. But hey, they always have next year right? When they battle only about 300 Division 1 teams for TWO freakin' "playoff spots" right??

Man oh man, that was some "meaningless opinion."! Please fill out an application to take over Modrak's job, you spent more time writing that game summary that Modrak spends reading his scouts' summaries on players he's drafted these past 9 years or so! Although your summary was very well written and accurate, I don't think this current group of Buffalo Bills is worth my time commenting on all of that, so I'm just answering your question above: Yeah, I'm always happy when the Bills win games. I really never care about getting a number one pick or even top 5 pick in the draft, because the draft is a big crap shoot anyway. Last year after Nix and Gailey came in, everyone said don't draft a QB this year, because next year there will be up to 5 great ones to choose from. Well, next year is almost here, and those same "experts" have reduced that number to just ONE great one, and none of those other 4 even first round-worthy. Let's face it, ever since the Pats stole Brady in the 6th round 10 years ago, all bets are off in picking QB's number 1 or number 196! It seems you can strike gold or strike out anywhere in the draft at QB these days. Who knows if Nix would pull the trigger on Luck even if he somehow ended up with the number one pick anyway? And now that is seems obvious he won't have the number one pick, he can relax and pick the very best OT or DT or rushing DE or OLB on the board and worry about QB later on in the draft. Great point! We were just beginning to get on-line back in early 1997 when Jimbo hung 'em up, and during his glory days from 1988 through 1993, we still had to snail - mail our opinions into the Buffalo News and see if they printed them once a week, or call into the radio shows. I don't think the social networking of today would have changed Jimbo's Hall of Fame career, but all those guys who played before the late 90's are lucky they did not face today's 24 hour access!

So how long have you been scouting under Tom Modrak?

...There is just no guarantee that this solid foundation you are so patient to wait for will present "multiple SB seasons" over the next decade. Of course it would be more fun watching them win and make the playoffs, and I too would love to see the Bills win more then one SB. But I still do not believe that you have to take 4 years to "build" into a SB contender, because SB winners have taken less time. ....How can you keep saying the Rams did not go from bad to good over one season? You consider 4-12-0 in 1998 a good season? ...I never said those teams went from bad to SB contenders in one season. I said they went from bad to playoff teams over one season, and I also pointed out those other teams that went from bad or at best average to SB winners in one season. I am counting this season for the Chiefs and Jags more then their performances earlier this decade, although I know the Jags have jumped up and down a couple of times during that time. ...I have the patience to watch the Bills lose for 11 more straight seasons if they are still called the Buffalo Bills, I watch or listen to them every week they play. "Patience" is not an issue as far as my die hard loyalty as a Bills fan. But I watch how free agents improve other teams from one season to the next, and it frustrates me that Ralph's "football people" these past 11 playoff - less years either spent too much on the wrong ones, or decided not to spend enough or for whatever reasons did not bring in the right ones. And even I agree that the draft is still extremely important to become and then remain a SB contender, and we all know how pathetic most of the drafts have been during the past decade, too. But you are right, we do disagree fundamentally on the fact that with FA and the salary cap, I am convinced you can build a SB winning team faster then Buddy Nix and you seem to think you need. We all want the same thing however, and that is that elusive Lombardi Trophy to come to One Bills Drive one of these seasons!!

Yes, the old worn out and battered Knight Sir Brett crossed one too many Moats, and he finally paid the price by missing his first start since 1992. (Yes, I borrowed the "Crossing the Moats" line from WGR and on this board, sorry but I could not resist.) Two observations: (1) Arthur Moats looks like a real steal for Buddy in this year's draft. (2) Despite how I admire and am amazed at Favre's almost 300 consecutive game streak, he should have either resigned or stayed on in Green Bay, or retired a Packer. Vikings fans who enjoyed his great season last year might disagree, of course. Yet to me, Brett should have just quit a Packer, and never changed teams at all. Nice!

Great take! If memory serves, these "crappy" Browns beat the Saints and Patriots in consecutive weeks this season. The Bills were lucky that Colt McCoy was injured, because he would have at least been more mobile then pathetic Jake D. if not a hell of a lot more accurate with his passes. But the Bills defense finally played a good game after that first drive, and they beat a pretty decent "on the rise" team who was forced to use their back up QB. Please see the KC Chiefs this past Sunday to see how that works out sometimes in the NFL when your back up sucks. And KC dropped to 8-5-0 and still remained in first place! But enough said about Delhomme. Buffalo played a good overall game and their offense moved and controlled the ball, so it was a very nice win for them.

But they have a SB Trophy. Let me ask you one question. Are you from Buffalo or even Western New York? Or, if you are, were you old enough to remember the joy and pain of watching the Bills play in and lose 4 consecutive SB's in the early 90's?? I would guess not, or...you don't share the passion of many older Bills fans who were born and raised in Buffalo and who just desperately want to see the Bills win ONE SB Championship, and/or the Sabres win just ONE Stanley Cup, in their life times. Those Rams above went from a really bad team in 1998 to a SB Champion in 1999...over one damn season. The Dolphins, Falcons, Bucs, Jags, Raiders, Chiefs, Cardinals have all gone from one lousy season to a winning playoff season the very next year over this past decade. It's not a myth, and it happens every year. Jerry Sullivan said it best, and I do not agree with a lot of what Sully says on a daily basis, but he said "every season is an entity in itself." And with FA and the Cap, that has never been more true. Bottom line, if the Bills "contend for a wildcard" next year (if they play football in 2011) after going 3-13 or perhaps 4-12 this season...even if they win out and finish 6-10 this season, get hot next year and make the playoffs, then they too can be added to my long list of teams that had a great one year turn around. And you said they may contend for a playoff spot next season. Well, if they get hot down the stretch, make the playoffs as a wildcard and miraculously win the SB, I don't care what you or anyone else thinks on this board, the Bills could then go on and lose again for 11 more seasons and I would still be a happy and content life time Bills fan. My Buffalo Bills will have won a SB in my lifetime. What if Nix and Gailey take another few seasons and rebuild the team into a Chargers-like annual winner.....but continue to never win the SB over the next 11 years, despite 9 of them being winning and playoff seasons??? That's all you want to see them do, just be a good team year after year? Sorry, I've watched them be bad year after year then good for a few years then bad for a few years then great for almost 12 years and now bad again for 11 years.......Been There, Done That. I want just one magic SB winning season for the Buffalo Bills while they remain the Buffalo Bills, and before I die. You can have 5 straight AFC East Division Championships and 10 consecutive years in the playoffs and being "a winning team" year after year and blah blah blah. If they don't win at least one SB in the middle of all that winning, like back in the 90's, it won't mean anything to me.

Oh really? Check out these "myths": 1998 St. Louis Rams: 4-12-0 Last Place 1999 St. Louis Rams: 13-3-0 First Place and SB Champions. 1999 Baltimore Ravens: 8-8-0 3rd Place and Out of Playoffs 2000 Baltimore Ravens: 12-4-0 Wilcard and SB Champions 2000 New England Patriots: 5-11-0 Last Place 2001 New England Patriots: 11-5-0 Wild Card and SB Champions. 2006 New York Giants: 8-8-0 Wild Card yet average team. 2007 New York Giants: 10-6-0 Wild Card and upset SB Champions over 18-0-0 Patriots (Now that's a hell of a mythical one year turn around, don't you agree?? From 8-8-0 nothings to slayers of the amazing Brady-Moss led Pats in one of the biggest SB upsets since Joe Namath's Jets in SB III the very next season??!!) Now all your talk about wanting the Bills to be long lasting winners not withstanding, after being a Bills fans for over 40 years now, I would have preferred to insert Buffalo Bills into any one of those above SB Winning seasons following average to bad seasons the years before, instead. And there is nothing "mythical" about those Lombardi Trophies standing in the stadiums of those "one year wonder" teams!

While I like Murph over on the radio side for those of us blacked out yesterday, I am never going to switch to radio on televised games due to Professor Kelso and his motor mouth. Even if it means putting up with old Don Cirqui and his sidekick. I remember hearing so many of those radio sound bites of the Steelers glory days of the 70's on the old NFL specials. Anyone remember Myron Cope of Steelers radio during that era? The guy was hysterical. He had the most Pittsburgh-ish Pittsburgh accent of any Pittsburgh native I've ever heard to in my life, and he was nothing more then a Steelers male cheerleader in the booth. The guy was classic, and I don't think he could tell you a cover-two from a a pair of cover-alls, yet the Steelers fans loved the guy (he was the inventor of the 70's "Terrible Towels".) Our "color guy" with Murph is quite different. He's the only color commentator on TV or radio I have ever heard tell me where the receivers lined up, what the corners coverage was and the exact assignments of every other freakin' player on both offense and defense after a 2 yard run up the middle. Kelso thinks he is teaching Football 101 to a classroom of eager JV football coaches instead of providing COLOR commentary to a radio audience who most likely are not watching the game. Murph: "Fitz takes the snap, drops back, throws it over the middle...incomplete. Boy Mark, Fitz was way off on that throw, huh?" Professor Kelso: "Well I don't know if I want to go that route Murph. The Browns were in a Tampa Two out with the safety in and the nickle back over. They rushed 3 and the Left Outside Linebacker dropped into his Sam coverage just outside the box. The Bills had trips right with the tight end on the left and were obviously running x outs z middles and y flats. Johnson, the inteneded receiver, ran his route a little shallow and the ball was thrown to his outside....no I mean inside shoulder, and Eric Wood, the center, blocked down on the nose tackle which allowed the off defensive tackle to slip in and pressure Fitz just enough to rush his throw a little bit." Murph: "OK, it's second and 10." And that's what the Professor gives us after every single play the entire game. I'd rather have Myron Cope back in the day saying: "Yeah Murph, Fitz had Johnson open long enough, but his damn inconsistent arm reared it's ugly head again on that play....Comon Fitz, practice throwing the ball 200 times a day if you have to, damn it!" Now that's color commentary I can enjoy! I wish the Bills radio decision makers whould fire the Professor and bring in a local Buffalo cheerleader type with a sense of humor to work with Murph next year.

Modkins does the grunt work that other full time OC's do while Gailey spends that time doing HC work. That's the only answer that makes any sense to me.